Authentic Basque Bérets

Homemade Basque bérets, sliced on a cutting board

The classic recipe for the renowned Basque béret—one of the simplest cured meats you can make at home.

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Servings: bérets

Calories: 1134kcal

MetricUS Customary

Ingredients

700 g Pork shoulder
300 g Pork belly
35 g Salt
1 g Ground white pepper
2 g Ground black pepper
4 g Four-spice blend (quatre-épices)
1 g Dried coriander leaves
0.5 g Freshly grated nutmeg
2 g Granulated sugar
1 g Garlic powder
2 g Ground Espelette pepper

Metric - US Customary

Procédé

Grinding the meat

Grind the pork shoulder and belly using an 8 mm plate.
700 g Pork shoulder, 300 g Pork belly

Mixing the ingredients

In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the ground meat with the salt, spices, coriander, nutmeg, sugar, garlic, and Espelette pepper.
35 g Salt, 1 g Ground white pepper, 2 g Ground black pepper, 4 g Four-spice blend (quatre-épices), 1 g Dried coriander leaves, 0.5 g Freshly grated nutmeg, 2 g Granulated sugar, 1 g Garlic powder, 2 g Ground Espelette pepper
Mix thoroughly until the seasonings are evenly distributed.

Resting the mixture

Refrigerate the mixture for at least 12 hours; this rest develops flavor and makes shaping easier.

Shaping the bérets

Divide the mixture into 350 g portions.
Shape each portion into a disk roughly ¾ cm thick, like a small camembert. A plunger-style cutter is helpful—you’ll need to press firmly to force out any trapped air.

Drying

Arrange the bérets on wire racks, leaving just enough space so they don’t touch yet still allow good airflow. Choose racks with a tight grid; without a casing, the meat can sag through wide gaps and let air pockets form.
The aim is perfectly even drying.
Drying target: Aim for about 50 % water loss. For example, a 200 g raw béret should weigh around 100 g when fully dried. A reduction of 45–50 % strikes the ideal balance between flavor and shelf life; anything less results in milder taste and shorter keeping time.

Fridge drying

Set the rack of bérets on the lowest shelf of a well-ventilated refrigerator. Dry for 4 weeks, turning them regularly, especially during the first few days.

Wine cellar option

You can also use a well-ventilated wine cellar. Maintain the temperature at 14 °C with 74 % humidity for optimal drying.

Notes

Space the bérets well on the racks to avoid contact and promote even drying.
Experiment with different drying levels to suit your taste, but for the fullest cured-meat flavor aim for a 50 % water loss.

Nutrition

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